An aggressive troublemaker threatened to “slice” and kill another young male during a nasty confrontation – and later assaulted police officers when matters escalated. Lennon Varney had already been spared prison in December last year after he angrily called a female officer “an ugly little rat” before spitting at her and a male officer, Hull Crown Court heard.
Varney, 22, of Cladshaw, Orchard Park estate, north Hull, admitted causing criminal damage, assaulting police officers in the execution of their duty and using threatening words or behaviour. He was in breach of a four-month suspended prison sentence imposed on December 1.
Poppy Walker, prosecuting, said that, on July 29, Varney telephoned his friend’s mother at about 6.05pm to say that he was outside her house and wanted to borrow a charger. She was not there and asked her son to let him in but the son did not want to do so.
Varney went into the garden and started kicking the gate as the son held it. He kicked the gate into the son’s face, causing a scratch on his forehead.
Varney warned him: “I’m going to slice you. Let me in your f***ing garden or I will slice you and I will kill you.” He tried to spit at the son and threw an object, causing a kitchen window to smash.
“The defendant continued to shout at members of the public in the street and continued to kick the garden gate,” said Miss Walker. Varney walked towards a car, kicked a front door, jumped onto the bonnet and caused the windscreen to smash.
Police arrived but Varney ran off and hid behind a wheelie bin. “The police managed to detain and arrest him,” said Miss Walker.
In a police cell, he became aggressive and spat towards an officer. He was detained on the floor but continued to spit towards him.
On August 6, Varney had been drinking and taking Pregabalin before getting into an argument with his partner. The police arrived and took him to his mother’s home but it was clear that he could not stay there.
He later became agitated and aggressive towards police. He threatened to slit an officer’s throat. Other officers took him to the floor.
Varney tried to headbutt the officer and continued to make threats, including “I’m going to kill your children.” He made a sexual suggestion towards the officer.
A spit guard was put on him. He tried to lick an officer’s hand. Leg restraints were put on him. His aggressive behaviour later continued and he resisted being restrained.
During police interview, Varney made no comment to all questions. He had convictions for five previous offences, most recently on December 1 for four offences of assaulting emergency workers, including three police officers and a custody officer, on September 26 last year.
Jazmine Lee, mitigating, said: “This is repeated offending.” Varney was now in a very different position from how he was at the time of the offences and he was working.
Recorder Brian Whitehead said that Varney provoked fights or conflict during unpleasant incidents and continued that when the police arrived. “I am sure you are appalled by what you did,” said Recorder Whitehead.
Varney replied: “It’s disgusting.” Recorder Whitehead told him: “I want to give you one last chance. This really will be your last chance. If we do see you again, you will be walking out that door behind you” – meaning down to the cells.
Varney was given 100 hours’ unpaid work, a 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring order and 15 days’ rehabilitation. He was ordered to pay £100 compensation each to the woman and the car owner.
At the previous hearing on December 1, the court was told that Varney had been downing whisky before a bad-tempered confrontation when he shouted and screamed abuse after being put into a police van. He continued his “appalling” antics at a police station and punched a female custody officer, knocking her out of the cell and causing her to land on her face.
Police were called to Bodmin Road, Bransholme, at about 7am after reports that Varney was intoxicated and was causing problems. He was sitting in the driver’s seat of a car but he did not have the keys.
Varney was slurring his words and his eyes were dilated. He was polite at first but he then became abusive and called a female police officer “an ugly little rat”. He started to spit at her and was told not to do so.
He persisted and asked her: “What are you going to do about it?” before continuing to spit, with some of it hitting a male officer in the face. He had to be forcibly removed from the vehicle.
Varney was handcuffed and he was put into a police van. During the journey to the police station, he shouted, screamed and made threats to the officers.
At Clough Road police station, Hull, Varney got out of a police van, kicked the door hard and it knocked into another male officer, who was badly winded. When Varney was in his cell, a female custody officer tried to carry out medical checks on him.
He threw a cup of water over her and later punched her in the face with a clenched fist, causing pain, swelling and redness. This knocked her out of the cell and she landed on her face, the court heard that day.
On that occasion, Varney had been given a four-month suspended prison sentence, 15 days’ rehabilitation and a 60-day alcohol abstinence monitoring order.